Why is it so easy for Tim Kearns to say postpartum depression is a “little” problem? Probably because he knows nothing about it and thinks it’s comparable to forgetting a test question. He finds it unjust that others are “paraded unjustly to death row,” and I agree, too often there are people who are mentally ill and do not have the mental capacity to clearly think through their actions, they have suffered much of their life having their illness ignored.

I’m no expert on postpartum depression but I’m not going to look over it for that reason. I can’t say that Yates’ actions are a new mom going “a little mad” because they are not. It’s a clinical problem. Not an excuse. Just because this issue is new to the American public doesn’t make it less credible.

Let’s face it, women’s mental health issues are not always high on the list of priorities. It’s also not something people want to hear about. It’s not a very happy thought to think that the “happiest time” of a woman’s life can be horrifying not only to the mother but to those around her.

No one wants to admit that a mother can have thoughts about killing her children. This includes the mother herself and with the American ignorance towards mental illness it gives her a lack of outlets in which she could seek the necessary help.

We can’t just keep killing off the mentally ill. Who knows how many new moms face postpartum depression, and to what extent. Research is needed in this field so that the widespread (and unnecessary) fear of temporary-insanity-plea-mania can be stopped. We can’t use this as an excuse to overlook an already long-ignored problem. There are women who need help and before we have to hear of another one doing the impossible we need to help them.

Tim Kearns is right. Everybody does have problems, and everyone does have times when things just don’t go right. However we all have different problems and we need to acknowledge that. Mental illness is not an excuse. It is a problem, and a rather severe one at that. Yates’ battle with herself cannot be compared to stress we face before an exam.

Robyn Nitchals

Junior

Political science